Chinese Burial Shrine Declared a Historic Monument

The Los Angeles City Council voted Friday to declare a 19th-Century Chinese burial shrine in Boyle Heights a historical monument, saving it from demolition or removal for up to a year.

Without discussion, the council voted 10 to 0 to make the shrine part of the city’s list of historic-cultural monuments. The owners of Evergreen Cemetery, where the memorial is located, were considering removing the twin kilns and stone altar to provide space for more grave sites, officials said.

With the council’s backing, the shrine could be protected for up to a year while preservationists draft a plan to save it permanently by either purchasing the 450-square-foot memorial or persuading the owners of Evergreen Cemetery to abandon any plans to uproot it.